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We investigated the effects of cellulose supplementation on fecal consistency and fecal weight. About 26 women were classified into two groups-normal defecation and constipation groups. All subjects ate the following meals during the experiment: ordinary meals (first week), experimental meals (second week), and experimental meals mixed with 4 g (third week) and 8 g (fourth week) cellulose. The experimental meal contained 16.7 g fiber. Fecal weights, fecal water content, fecal consistency, and defecation frequency were measured during the experimental period. As a result, in the normal defecation group, the mean fecal weight was 222.9 g day(-1) in the first week, and thereafter decreased. Although 20/24 g of fiber intake in the third/fourth week increased the fecal weight to over 150 g, the fecal consistency was still lower than the optimal consistency of around 300 g cm(-2). However, these changes were not observed in the constipated group.

We developed a method which we used in the current study to observe the rat colon endoscopically. Our goal was to evaluate the entire course in the development of experimental large bowel tumors through serial observations in the same rat. We compared the effects of dietary lard and cellulose on rat colon tumorigenesis in a 2 x 3 factorial design. Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 90) were divided into 6 diet groups: rats were fed a diet without cellulose that contained 5, 10, and 15 g/100 g lard, or diets containing 15% cellulose diet (15 g cellulose/100 g diet) and the same concentrations of lard. The development of large bowel tumors induced by the administration of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (25 mg/kg body weight) for 19 wk was examined endoscopically. Tumor induction rates in the 15% cellulose groups were lower than in the 0% cellulose groups (P = 0.008), independent of the lard concentration. These results suggest that the preventive effect of cellulose against large bowel tumorigenesis is greater than the promotive effect of fat under the current experimental conditions.

This study set out to evaluate the effects of dietary fiber on cancer development in the large bowel under in vivo experimental conditions as similar as possible to those under which this cancer develops in vivo in humans. Forty-eight Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups that were fed either a nonfiber diet or a 3 g or 10 g/100 g cellulose diet in this experiment, and all groups received doses of a mild carcinogen, 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (5 mg/kg body weight) for 50 weeks. Following endoscopic observation of the large bowel, we found that the induction rates of tumor in the cellulose groups were significantly lower than that in the nonfiber diet group, both endoscopically and histologically. No differences were seen between the 3% and 10% cellulose groups in suppressing carcinogenesis. It is likely that the inhibitory effect of 3% cellulose could be confirmed only by a long-term experiment on carcinogenesis following the administration of a low dose of carcinogen.

Changes in intraluminal pressure in rat colon with aging and with the effects of dietary fiber were measured. A pressure sensor was inserted into the rat large intestine under endoscopic guidance. The intraluminal pressure curve in the colon was recorded, and the motility index was calculated by this curve. The rats were divided into three groups with a fiber-free diet, a cellulose diet (10% w/w), or a pectin diet (10% w/w). Intraluminal pressure was measured in the proximal, middle, and distal colon at 2, 4, 8, 12, and 16 months after birth. Intraluminal pressure in three sites increased with age and decreased in the latter half of the study. The motility index was lower during the course in the fiber groups, especially the pectin group more than the nonfiber group. This result suggests that long-term ingestion of dietary fiber might have a prophylactic effect on the development of diverticula.

We determined the levels of 15 elements in drinking water from 34 water treatment plants in Aomori Prefecture and studied how element levels relate to colorectal cancer incidence by district. Colorectal cancer incidence was calculated from the data of Aomori Colorectal Cancer Registry. Multiple regression analysis was performed by using age-adjusted incidences of rectal cancer and colon cancer by gender as object variables and each element level as an explanatory variable. The standardized partial regression coefficient was significant in gold (p

We evaluated the preventive effects of wheat bran (40%, weight percent of diet) on the development of large bowel carcinoma induced by weekly intraperitoneal administration of 25 mg/kg (body weight) of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine over 19 weeks in the rat. Feces number and volume per pellet in wheat bran diet group were significantly greater than those in basal diet group, and the induction rates of tumor in the wheat bran diet group was found to be significantly lower than that in the basal diet group. These results suggested that wheat bran was effective in inhibiting large bowel carcinogenesis, and that the increased fecal weight and volume from wheat bran may be involved in such an inhibitory effect.

In this report, we attempt to propose a recommended level of dietary fiber (DF) for the Japanese from several epidemiological reports. The authors previously investigated the daily DF intake in 50 patients with colon polyp, 33 patients with colon diverticulosis, 45 patients with colorectal cancer, and two groups 84 and 45 control subjects; the values obtained were 18.2, 17.4, 14.9, and 21.1 and 19.9 g, respectively. In another study, of the 5 regions in Japan, in only one, Aomori, where the rate of the colon diverticulosis detection was the lowest, did the DF intake exceed 20 g. Furthermore, in Japan the incidence of colorectal cancer showed a marked increase after 1955. It was assumed that the period between the diagnosis of colorectal cancer and death was 15 years, and that the DF intakes at this time (before 1940) to had contributed to the development of the disease. However unfortunately daily DF intake before 1940 in Japan were unknown, and we have only data 25.0 g in 1946. Thus, it is proposed that the recommended level for daily DF intake in Japanese be set at about 20–25 g, i.e. 10 g per 1,000 kcal.

Epidemiological and experimental studies have shown that dietary fiber may prevent colon cancer. Resistant starch, like dietary fiber, is not subject to digestion in the small intestine. However, it is unknown whether resistant starch inhibits colonic carcinogenesis. In vitro studies have shown that butyrate slows the growth of cultured colon cancer cells. The effect of resistant starch diet on 1,2-dimethylhydrazine-induced colonic carcinogenesis in rats was evaluated, and the colonic butyrate concentration was measured.Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups that were fed diets containing no fiber, 3% cellulose, 10% cellulose, 3% resistant starch, or 10% resistant starch. Colonic carcinogenesis and butyrate concentration of colonic contents and feces in each diet group were compared.Total cancer volume per rat in the 10% cellulose group was significantly lower than that in the basal group (109 +/- 54 mm3 and 247 +/- 83 mm3; P0.05), but the other groups showed no significant differences. The butyrate concentration in colonic content and in feces were higher in the resistant starch groups than in the cellulose groups.The resistant starch diet increased butyrate concentration but did not inhibit colonic carcinogenesis. It remains doubtful whether butyrate inhibits the proliferation of colon cancer cells.

In order to measure the sizes of gastric and colonic lesions endoscopically, we established a system composed of an electronic endoscope, image processor, and personal computer. The long and short diameter of the lesion were calculated by a program which corrected the curvature radius of the lens of the endoscope and variables. 1) To evaluate its accuracy, we measured a 10 mm scale spherical model at different distances from the lens of the endoscope. The mean value was 9.7 mm, ranging from 9.0 to 10.9 mm. The rate of error was –0.38±4.4 % (mean±SE). 2) Using this system, we measured the sizes of 34 gastric and colonic lesions in 34 patients (3 with gastric cancers, 20 with gastric polyps, and 11 with colonic polyps), and compared them with the real sizes of the resected or polypectomized specimens. The rate of error was–1.1±1.3% (mean±SE). The results showed that our system was useful to evaluate the accurate sizes of gastric and colonic lesions endoscopically.

The per capita daily intake of dietary fiber (DF) in Japan between 1917 and 1991 was assessed using statistical reports regarding nutrition, food consumption, production, and trade balance. The reported contents of DF for each food category were used ; these values were based on the modified Southgate method and modified Prosky AOAC method. Average per capita daily consumptions of total DF calculated by the modified Southgate method were 30.3 g in 1917-1924 and 15. 6 g in 1991. Those calculated by modified Prosky AOAC method were 28.6 g in 1917-1924 and 14. 5 g in 1991. Both calculation methods yielded values indicating that the DF intake had been almost constant in the last 20 years. Differences in the calculated values of DF obtained by the two methods are attributed mainly to the difference in the measured values for rice. J Epidemiol, 1995; 5 : 205-210.

Based on the result of the Aomori Nutrition Survey, we have calculated daily dietary fiber (DF) intake using modified Southgate and Prosky methods. Result obtained were as follows: DF intake in Aomori was 23.7 +/- 8.4g by the modified Southgate method, and 22.2 +/- 8.5g by the modified Prosky method. As for supply sources of DF, 32.3% was from grains; 22.7%, vegetables; 15.6%, beans; and 7.8%, fruits calculated by the modified Southgate method, and 31.3%, vegetables; 19.0%, grains; 18.0%, beans; and 11.6%, fruits by the modified Prosky method. As to types of DF, intake of hemicellulose was 11.5 +/- 4.2g, cellulose 7.8 +/- 3.0g and lignin 4.4 +/- 2.3g. In the group with DF intake below 10.0g, DF came mainly from grains and fruits, while the group with DF intake above 30.0g took DF from various foods.

岩手県の一農村で便通,便性状と食品・嗜好品摂取状況との関連性を検討した,排便回数は,男性の88%が1目1回以上で女性の75%より有意に多かった.また男性は加齢とともに排便回数が少なくなる傾向にあった.自覚的便通では女性の便秘を自覚する割合が36%で男性の2倍であった.自覚的便の性状では女性で「兎糞」が11%と男性の4%より有意に多かった.便硬度は男女とも加齢とともに高くなり,さらに女性が男性より各年代とも有意に高い値を示した.一方,相対的便秘傾向に関する検討では,便通,便の性状に最も良好な影響を与える食品は米飯であった.またアルコールは全項目で相対危険度が1.0未満であったが,同時に下痢を助長する傾向が認められたため,便通,便の性状に良好な影響を与えるといえなかった.相対的下痢に対する相対危険度が全項目とも1.0未満であったのはつけものであった.

Colorectal cancer is thought to originate in colorectal adenoma and endoscopic polypectomy may prove prophylactic. To clarify the natural history of colorectal adenoma and the potential effects of endoscopic polypectomy, we retrospectively studied cohort patients undergoing full colonoscopies at 14 hospitals in Aomori Prefecture between January 1972 and December 1985. Subjects were divided into 3,574 non-adenoma controls and 1,020 adenoma patients, including 530 treated by polypectomy at initial examination. Subjects were followed up until the end of 1987 through record linkage with Aomori Colorectal Cancer Registry files to observe colorectal cancer occurrence. The ratio of observed number/expected number in the general population (O/E ratio) was 0.70 for the adenoma group and 0.36 for controls. The adenoma group was subdivided into polypectomy and non-polypectomy subgroups, with the O/E ratios of 0.39 for polypectomy patients and 0.75 for non-polypectomy patients. The O/E ratio in the adenoma group was about twice in controls, and this ratio in the nonpolypectomy subgroup was also about twice in thepolypectomy subgroup. The results suggest that colorectal adenoma provides a precancerous lesion that can be treated prophylactically by endoscopic polypectomy.

Background : Although fecal consistency is an important factor, there has been only one study measuring this parameter. We developed a new method to measure fecal consistency and studied the relationship between fecal consistency and other fecal factors, including water content and weight. Methods : The new method is a modification of the method of Exton-Smith and used an even balance. Subjects in the initial trial were 26 healthy women. Subsequently, fecal consistency was measured in a representative sample of the general Japanese population, in order to evaluate the optimal value to maintain large bowel function. Results : Correlations between fecal consistency and fecal water content and weight were statistically consistent, although not highly correlated with each other. The optimal mean value was around 300 cm2: ‘normal’ in ‘subjective defecatory state’, 295.5 cm2 and 305.2 cm2; ‘once/day’ in ‘defecation frequency’, 296.1 cm2 and 310.2 cm2; ‘soft and plump’ in ‘fecal characteristics’, 293.6 cm2 and 298.3 cm2, in males and females, respectively. The coefficient of variation of this method ranged from 5.2% to 6.3%. Conclusions : This method is thought to be applicable to large-scale epidemiological surveys. The optimal value of fecal consistency in the general population was evaluated at approximately 300 g/cm2. © 2002 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd

This study set out to evaluate the effects of dietary fiber on cancer development in the large bowel under in vivo experimental conditions as similar as possible to those under which this cancer develops in vivo in humans. Forty-eight Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups that were fed either a nonfiber diet or a 3 g or 10 g/100 g cellulose diet in this experiment, and all groups received doses of a mild carcinogen, 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (5 mg/kg body weight) for 50 weeks. Following endoscopic observation of the large bowel, we found that the induction rates of tumor in the cellulose groups were significantly lower than that in the nonfiber diet group, both endoscopically and histologically. No differences were seen between the 3% and 10% cellulose groups in suppressing carcinogenesis. It is likely that the inhibitory effect of 3% cellulose could be confirmed only by a long-term experiment on carcinogenesis following the administration of a low dose of carcinogen.

Even though it is important in improving the quality of life to evaluate the long-term prognosis of patients with ulcerative colitis in comparison with the general population, it is unknown in detail. One hundred and seventeen cases followed-up for 10 years or more were evaluated to define the long-term prognosis of ulcerative colitis by the person-years method. The estimated number of death (E) was 14.5, and the observed number of death (0) was 20. The O/E ratio was 1.38 and confidence interval was 0.84-2.13, showing no significant difference between E and O. Evaluation of change in th O/E ratio at 5-year intervals revealed a decrease in both the males and females, with a significant difference observed between the ratios in 1960 and 1965 (each p

MUNAKATA, A., NAKAJI, S., TAKAMI, H., NAKAJIMA, H., IWANE, S. and TUCHIDA, S. Epidemiological Evaluation of Colonic Diverticulosis and Dietary Fiber in Japan. Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1993, 171(2), 145-151 - The incidence of colonic diverticulosis was examined in 5 hospitals geographically isolated from each other in Japan during the period between mid '70s and 1986. The incidence rapidly increased in all hospitals from 3.5-9.0% in mid '70s to 8.4-23.2% in 1986. The ratio of right-sided type colonic diverticulosis was approximately 70-80% in each hospital and the ratio did not fluctuate significantly during the period. Birth cohort analysis revealed that although the incidence of right-sided diverticula had increased with aging, in groups born in more recent decades right-sided diverticula appeared in younger age than other groups. It was suggested that environmental factors rather than congenital factors may cause the increase of the incidence of right-sided colon diverticula.

The macular mouse is a mutant mouse with a defect in copper transport and an X-linked recessive inheritance. Its hemizygote (Ml/y) is considered to be an appropriate model of Menkes kinky hair disease (MKHD). In this study, homozygote (Ml/Ml) were bred by coupling CuCl 2 -treated Ml/y with heterozygote (MI/+). Both Ml/Ml and Ml/y die around day 15 of age. However, treatment with CuCl 2 enables them to live until adulthood. The brains of Ml/Ml were chronologically examined by light and electron microscopy. In the non-treated Ml/Ml, abnormal mitochondria increased in number in the cerebral cortical neurons and in the cerebellar Purkinje cells from day 7 to 14 of age. In the treated Ml/Ml, the administration of CuCl 2 improved the abnormality of the mitochondria in the cerebrum by day 20, but those in the Purkinje cells remained until day 60. Flattened cisterns and intracytoplasmic inclusions were also observed in the Purkinje cells of treated Ml/Ml. These ultrastructural changes were quite similar to those observed in the Ml/y. Our mutant mice (treated Ml/Ml), when they are coupled with treated Ml/y, can give birth to offspring, all of which will be genetically Ml/y or Ml/Ml. These fetal mice will be very helpful for studying the pathological and biochemical condition of prenatal MKHD.

The hemizygote of the macular mutant mice, which is clinically and neuropathologically considered to be a model of Menkes kinky hair disease (MKHD), were injected intraperitoneally four times with 10, 20, 20 and 30 micrograms of cupric chloride on days 4, 6, 8 and 10 after birth, respectively. Their cerebral and cerebellar cortices were chronologically examined by electron microscopy. In the cerebral cortex, only a few abnormal mitochondria with electron-lucent matrix and short peripherally located cristae were scattered in the neurons on day 14, and these had almost entirely vanished after day 21. In the cerebellar cortex, abnormal mitochondria were frequently found on day 14 in the dendrites of the Purkinje cells, whereas they were only occasionally observed in their cytoplasm. Those in the dendrites had decreased in number on day 30, and only a few of them were seen in the cerebellum after day 45. These results show that the copper therapy reduced ultrastructural abnormalities in the hemizygote of this mutant mouse.

The macular mutant mouse shows X-linked recessive inheritance and its hemizygote (Ml/y) is considered to be an appropriate model of Menkes kinky hair disease (MKHD). In this study the homozygote (Ml/Ml) was bred by coupling CuCl 2 -treated Ml/y with Ml/+ and was clinically and neuropathologically examined. The Ml/Ml had white fur color and curly whiskers from day 3, showed ataxia and tonic seizure on day 8 and gradually lost weight after day 10. It died with severe emaciation around day 15. These clinical features were improved by CuC 12 injection. Quantitative analysis showed that the dendritic arborization of the pyramidal cell in the treated Ml/Ml was delayed on days 14, 20, 30, 45 and 90 in comparison with that of the age-matched +/y. In the cerebellum of the Ml/Ml on day 14, some of the Purkinje cells showed abnormal changes such as somal sprouts, spine-like structures on the surface of the soma and stem dendrites, thick stem dendrites, multiple focal swellings of the stem and distal dendrites, reduction in the size of dendritic trees and axonal focal swellings. These changes were gradually improved in the Ml/Ml with CuC 12 treatment after day 20, with the exception of the multiple focal swellings of the stem and distal dendrites. The dendritic focal swelling gradually decreased after day 45. These clinical and neuropathological features of the Ml/Ml are almost same as those of the Ml/y. In our mutant mouse, when the treated Ml/Ml is coupled with the treated Ml/y all offspring from the Ml/Ml are genetically Ml/y or Ml/Ml. Our study indicates that these fetal mice may be useful for studying the pathological and biochemical condition of prenatal MKHD.

This study was undertaken to elucidate the clinical and neuropathological effects of copper administration on the macular mutant mouse. Its hemizygote, which is considered to be a model of Menkes kinky hair disease (MKHD), was injected intraperitoneally four times with 10, 20, 20 and 30 micrograms of cupric chloride on days 4, 6, 8 and 10, respectively. The hemizygote's curly whiskers gradually straightened and the frequent tonic seizures and ataxia disappeared after the injections. The body weight also gradually increased. In the cerebral cortex, the dendritic arborization of the pyramidal neurons in both the normal littermate and the treated hemizygote developed with time and reached the maximum around day 60. In the treated hemizygote, however, the arborization of the dendrites was significantly poor in comparison with that in the normal littermate from day 20 to 90. In the cerebellum of the treated hemizygote, the abnormal Purkinje cells with the few somal sprouts, thick stem dendrite and/or poor arborization, which were seen in the non-treated hemizygote, were improved by day 30, while their focal dendritic swellings remained even on day 60. These results indicate that the copper therapy improves not only the clinical manifestations but also the neuropathological changes, especially in the cerebellum.

1972年から1986まで当科で診断した消化管憩室症例を検討した.15年間の各憩室の発見頻度は食道155例, 1.02%, 胃23例, 0.15%, 十二指腸601例, 3.94%, 大腸442例, 4.88%であった.十二指腸, 大腸憩室は年次別にみると増加 (P